The Man in the Box: A Novel of Vietnam

by Marylois Dunn

During the Vietnam War, a Vietnamese boy must free the "Man in the Box," a captured American soldier, and bring him to safety. A powerful tale of friends in the midst of battle, "The Man in the Box" won the prestigious Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award in 1968. It remains as memorable today -- and its message of compassion and friendship as fresh -- as the day it was first published. Includes a Foreword by Ardath Mayhar from the 2006 edition, plus a new Publisher's Foreword by John Betancourt.

Genres: War, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1968

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago, my sister and I found ourselves reminiscing about books we had read as children that cast powerful spells. She spoke at length about this one and I hunted down a copy to give for Christmas. (Shhhh, don't tell.). Now that I have read it, too, I immediately see how it must have influenced many young people in its time.

Published in 1968 - just as the Tet Offensive was being launched and years before America stopped sending its troops into that chaos - this tale of a Montagnard boy who frees an American POW from his Viet Cong tormentors is surprisingly believable. It is interesting to note that it was written by a school librarian living in Texas. Dunn's introduction is an impressive primer on the cultural and political history of Vietnam (Champa); the story itself is refreshingly apolitical and avoids what we now think of as Disney Moments. In her own words, Dunn wanted her story:

"...to express the hope that even in the turmoil and upheaval of a terrible war there are individuals who will risk everything for another human being. They will do this knowing that they, personally, will lose everything: perhaps even their lives."

At the time my sister was reading this book, our best friends and neighbors were without their U.S. Marine father. He was killed in this war and is honored on the Memorial Wall in D.C. This book honors his sacrifice in an equally profound way by paying respectful attention to the Vietnamese experience of that conflict.

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Man In the Box is a fictional story written about and during the Vietnam War. Told from the perspective of Chau Li, a little Vietnamese boy in a village under the occupation of the Viet Cong. The Man In the Box is about how Chai Li courageously helps an American soldier escape from the Viet Cong. He takes the soldier into the rainforest, away from the occupied village and to a different village with other American soldiers.
The Man In the Box was written during the Vietnam War, an extremely controversial time period and a serious conflict between America and Vietnam, which had me excited to read this book. However, when I started to read, I was quickly disappointed by the lack of depth in the characters. Chau Li’s backstory, as well as his mother’s, was explained only through a single sentence as part of the simple and tiring dialogue. As for the man in the box, who is later found to be named Dah Vid, he is nothing more than an American soldier with no interesting backstory, a shallow character that is hard to connect to. The reader is left with very little information about one of the central characters, who the book is even named after, but never given the depth he deserves. The emotionless dialogue is nothing but short, choppy sentences to drag along the slow plot.
If it were up to me, I would have written the story from the perspective of both Chau Li and Dah Vid. It would allow me to explain the backstories of both characters as well as how their stories collide, immediately adding more depth to both of these central characters. And with the separate perspective, the reader would be able to see how Dah Vid felt about the little Vietnamese boy that is saving his life through something more engaging than the simple dialogue between the two who, by the way, have no issue communicating despite being from vastly different countries with completely different languages.
I believe that Mary Lois Dunn’s intention was to spread a little awareness about the conflict in Vietnam, and how she believed that it was wrong for the American military to be invading Vietnam. I say this because of the way she portrays the Vietnamese people in the village. All of them seem innocent and concerned for their own safety because of the fighting. However, she also seems to against the Viet Cong because all of the characters that are part of the Viet Cong are the enemies of the story, portrayed as evil and unpleasant people. She used this story as an opportunity to spread her ideas about the Vietnam War.
This story could have been very good, especially because of how it was written at the time of the conflict that it was about. The Man In the Box had potential to be a riveting story, but it fell short due to poor execution through the shallow characters and uninteresting dialogue.

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book that friend recommended to me as one of the most memorable books of her childhood and what a great recommendation it was!

It is a heart wrenching and full of hope story about vietnamese boy helping american soldier to escape torture. I liked that the book does not talk down to kids, reading as an adult I see that while the language is simple enough, it shows the results of the torture quite clear if without many graphic details. I also liked how the book escaped the propaganda trap for one side or for another. It is just story abput the best in people (and worst in people too) during the war. Highly recommended for kids or adults.

[Logan Schilling · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Man In the Box is a fictional story written about and during the Vietnam War. Told from the perspective of Chau Li, a little Vietnamese boy in a village under the occupation of the Viet Cong. The Man In the Box is about how Chai Li courageously helps an American soldier escape from the Viet Cong. He takes the soldier into the rainforest, away from the occupied village and to a different village with other American soldiers.
The Man In the Box was written during the Vietnam War, an extremely controversial time period and a serious conflict between America and Vietnam, which had me excited to read this book. However, when I started to read, I was quickly disappointed by the lack of depth in the characters. Chau Li’s backstory, as well as his mother’s, was explained only through a single sentence as part of the simple and tiring dialogue. As for the man in the box, who is later found to be named Dah Vid, he is nothing more than an American soldier with no interesting backstory, a shallow character that is hard to connect to. The reader is left with very little information about one of the central characters, who the book is even named after, but never given the depth he deserves. The emotionless dialogue is nothing but short, choppy sentences to drag along the slow plot.
If it were up to me, I would have written the story from the perspective of both Chau Li and Dah Vid. It would allow me to explain the backstories of both characters as well as how their stories collide, immediately adding more depth to both of these central characters. And with the separate perspective, the reader would be able to see how Dah Vid felt about the little Vietnamese boy that is saving his life through something more engaging than the simple dialogue between the two who, by the way, have no issue communicating despite being from vastly different countries with completely different languages.
I believe that Mary Lois Dunn’s intention was to spread a little awareness about the conflict in Vietnam, and how she believed that it was wrong for the American military to be invading Vietnam. I say this because of the way she portrays the Vietnamese people in the village. All of them seem innocent and concerned for their own safety because of the fighting. However, she also seems to against the Viet Cong because all of the characters that are part of the Viet Cong are the enemies of the story, portrayed as evil and unpleasant people. She used this story as an opportunity to spread her ideas about the Vietnam War.
This story could have been very good, especially because of how it was written at the time of the conflict that it was about. The Man In the Box had potential to be a riveting story, but it fell short due to poor execution through the shallow characters and uninteresting dialogue.

[Daniel H. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with other readers, My 6th grade teacher read this to us a chapter a day after lunch. I never forgot it. This was during the 1971-1972 school year. What amazes me is the fact it was written during the Vietnam War. The details in the book are pretty accurate.

[Alex Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was kind of boring and I did not really like it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Richter read us this book after lunch. This was before air conditioning and we would come into the classroom, with the fans blowing and the windows opened wide, and the lights off to keep the room as cool as possible. She would read us a chapter or two everyday of some book or another.
The image that stuck in my mind then was of a man whom I imagined to be a little over six feet tall, folded up into a box and the things that he had to endure.
I did not remember the ending and maybe it was good that I didn't.
It is still a good story and it puts a different perspective on the Vietnam War. It's the perspective of a young Vietnamese boy and the twists in his life from the decisions he has to make.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book in 6th grade. The impression it made was enough that I scoured Ebay for this book in my early 20s and finally re-read it in my early 30s. I had forgotten how the story ended, I could have sworn it ended another way. As an adult, I'd say this seemed pretty ok for a children's novel. Children or young adult, who knows since most YA books nowadays revolve around some sort of love interest. The love here was familial and humanity-related; no romance at all. This was my first eye-opener on the 'unfairness' of war (as my 12-year-old self would call it.) I cringe every time David calls Chau Li 'Charlie' since it seems a bit racist.

[Drew]

Man in the Box a Story from Vietnam by Mary Lois Dunn (1968)

[Sherri T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was required reading in 9th grade I think. I remember that I hated reading it because the violence really bothered me.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a naked man in a box on the cover. Of course I had to read it!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book a long time ago and loved it. My favorite book as a child.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the Vietnam War, a Vietnamese boy named Chau Li feels intense compassion for an American soldier who has been captured by the Viet Cong and is being publically tortured by them in Chau Li's village. Although it means he will never see his mother or sisters again, Chau Li decides to try to rescue the American. The bulk of the book takes place after the rescue attempt.

I hadn't read this book in almost twenty years. I've kept putting it on my list of favorite books, but I'd started to wonder... would I still love it? Was it as good as I'd thought as a teen?

Yeah, totally still love it. But it's not as good as I'd thought as a teen. It's a much simpler story than I'd remembered, and told fairly simply... but at the same time, that suits the story. It has no need to be fancy and elaborate.

[Nobi]

i have done and enjoyed reading this book since my high school days , and it brings me to a different place , the story of an American soldier and a Vietnam boy , it was heart breaking when the American soldiers was put inside a box as captive .... for me this book is an adventure